Anne and Diana's Lifelong Friendship
Anne of AvonleaAnne and Diana sustain a childhood bond through shared imagination and confidences, even as adult changes create new boundaries between them.
increasing
Bearing strength in each event
decreasing
A Constant Companion

A Constant Companion
Shared Plans
Diana Barry and Anne Shirley discuss their hopes for the Improvement Society and explore the countryside together. Diana brings practicality and companionship to Anne's more fanciful vision.
Different Inner Worlds
Diana cannot always follow Anne into imaginative reverie, but she accepts the difference without withdrawing her affection. Their friendship makes space for both dream and ordinary pleasure.
The Roadside Canvass

The Roadside Canvass
Shared Hardship
Anne and Diana solicit subscriptions from difficult neighbors, encountering pessimism, stinginess, and social awkwardness. They help one another keep going through an exhausting day.
Humor as Support
Their private reactions turn discouragement into shared comedy. The work strengthens their partnership by giving friendship a practical task as well as a store of memories.
A Golden Picnic

A Golden Picnic
A Day of Discovery
Anne and Diana join Jane Andrews and Priscilla Grant for a spring picnic in the woods. The girls find Hester Gray's garden and listen to Diana's account of its history.
Shared Reverence
Anne's emotional response is more intense, but Diana and the others share the day and its beauty. The outing becomes a lasting memory of friendship before their lives begin to change.
The Engagement Revelation

The Engagement Revelation
A New Attachment
Anne unexpectedly sees Diana and Fred Wright together and realizes that they are in love. The discovery makes Diana seem to have crossed into adulthood ahead of her.
Confiding Again
Diana later tells Anne the whole story in private. Their tears, laughter, and conversation restore closeness even as engagement changes the shape of their friendship.
Promises Across Distance

Promises Across Distance
Naming Their Bond
Anne thanks Diana for giving her the affection her lonely childhood lacked. Diana promises that her love will endure even if she marries and builds a different life.
A Future Friendship
Anne agrees to be Diana's bridesmaid, wherever she may be. The scene turns their history into a promise that college and adulthood will not erase their bond.
early autumn, at the start of Anne's teaching
autumn, during the Society's fundraising
spring, on Anne's adopted birthday
the summer before Anne and Gilbert leave
the twilight before Anne leaves for college